Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[appps]

We accidentally integrated ours today too Telia, thankfully it went okay.

Peep managed to get herself out of the broody run and out into general population and at just two weeks old she is a fair bit smaller than the rest. Penny was going a bit crazy on the other side of the gate but couldnt get to her.

The other chooks, including winry who had tried to attack her last week when broody, were just standing around it looking something between confused and amused lol while peep ran crazily right in the middle of the huddle.

Nobody seemed to have any intention of pecking her and we finally managed to catch her and put her back with Penny (darn they run fast when they want to !)

No idea how long she had been out before my daughter found her, obviously long enough for her peeps to bring all her aunts over to see what was the problem as they had been out free ranging.

Makes me wonder if I should be trying integration now ??

 

[Jellyballoo]

Where is the best place to get meal worms?
My local Petbarn didn't have any when I had a look today just crickets (but what's new... they never seem to have what I'm after :/ )

 

[AussieChics]

Where is the best place to get meal worms?
My local Petbarn didn't have any when I had a look today just crickets (but what's new... they never seem to have what I'm after :/ )

I would like to know too. My fodder doesnt even have oyster shell and I'm at a loss as to where to find that!

 

[Fancychooklady]

I would like to know too. My fodder doesnt even have oyster shell and I'm at a loss as to where to find that!

It's usually labelled calcium carbonate.
We have ducklings hatching in every direction.

 

[AussieChics]

Cuteness overload!!!

I will ask for that. Fingers crossed!

 

[Teila]

Aaaaw Fancy too cute!!

appps yep, they sure can run!! lol

It's weird but my gals were OK with the chicks also; it is just Tina they were picking on; much better today though. I guess in their little chicken heads the chicks do not qualify for the pecking order whereas Tina does

I am still not locking her up with them as, while there is enough room for all of them, she is too easy for Cilla and Co to get to. I will let them all out together for the afternoon free range and have opened up the little run a bit more so that they can see each other even more during the day.

While the beans were on their own today, I saw the little Frizzle spending a lot of time standing over the little grey one; it kind of looked like the Frizzle was protecting the grey one and watching them today, I am back to thinking pullet on the grey but I am sure that is going to change backwards and forwards a few times before I know for sure

I order my meal worms on line from Martyn's Mealworms.

I was able to get some from Northside Produce at Bridgeman Downs on one occasion but they were a bit pricier than Martyn's and last time I was there there did not have any.

 

[Jellyballoo]

@Teila

Thank you!
Does it matter white size they are?
And how many should I get for 4 chickens/ how long do they last for?

 

[Teila]

No problemo Jellyballoo

I order 1,000 large at a time and keep them in back fridge. Large is a nice size for my bantams. They come with instructions on how to keep them alive for a week, a month or 3 months, depending on your needs. 1,000 usually lasts a month to six weeks here but with the chicks, I currently have 9 in total eating 4-5 a day each so probably more like a month. As long as you have some air holes in the container, give them apple or some vegetable matter for moisture and leave them out of the fridge for the whole day every so often so that they 'wake up' and have a good feast; they can live up to 3 months. Putting them in the fridge slows down their life cycle process so they do not morph into pupa as quick.

I take them out of the fridge maybe an hour or so before I am going to use them so that they wake up and are nice and wriggly ... the girls love them!

PS. You can also buy dried meal worms and while I have a bag, I haven't tried them on the gals yet. Keeping them just in case I ever run out of live ones

 

[Jellyballoo]

Thanks so much
I might try 500 then till I get the hang of keeping them alive haha

 

[K Spot]

Ick - heatwave!! Have I mentioned the warmer months are not my favourite? As I work full time I cannot be home to monitor my flock so I've done the best I can with frozen bottles of water, frozen peas and corn in their water, put out a couple of shallow dishes of water.
Short of that, I really can't do anything else for them. I've instructed my husband that when he gets home if he can go check on them all and hose down the run a bit and also do a bit of the coop floor.


Also some more sad news regarding the chicks - I'm now down to five

my only bantam Rock remaining had managed to squeeze out through a small gap in the brooder box and was exposed in the coop by himself and couldn't find his way back inside. He was pecked and attacked so badly by my other hens there was no hope for him so I had my husband put him out of his misery.
I've since blocked up the gap so that won't happen again.
So far this has been my worst hatch out of the three I've done.


Also Satay, I was out your neck of the woods yesterday. I was silently berating myself for having broken my broodies or I could have popped into your house to pick up some Marans eggs